


Guardians of the AUs

by Kastrallis



Series: Protectors [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Anti-Void, Dimensions, Fluff, Gen, Guardian Stuff, I've never actually played undertale, Ink isn't a very good cook, More tags to be added, so please let me know if something's wrong, strong launguage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-08-11 07:26:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7882108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kastrallis/pseuds/Kastrallis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When I'm pulled into the Anti-Void by some unknown force, what the hell am I to expect? I certainly didn't expect to meet a skeleton with a huge-ass paintbrush, or the explanation he gave me for what the hell is happening. But I'll tell you one thing, after I decide to help him to protect the AUs, I've come to know exactly what it means to expect the unexpected.</p><p>EDIT:: I have now posted a description of the protagonist (her name is Minx), so if you wanna read that, you can. You can find it in my works :3</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Anti-Void and A Guy with a Huge-ass Paintbrush

I knew something was wrong when I felt weightless, and I opened my eyes to see nothing. I’m not talking the kind of nothing as in there’s just an empty room; I’m talking the kind of nothing where there’s… _nothing._

I started wandering around the blank white expanse, which I had deemed to be some sort of vacuum between dimensions. It wasn’t long before something happened.

Some sort of portal made of…paint opened up and a guy stepped out. He was a skeleton, with a huge paintbrush on his back. He was facing away from me and didn’t seem to notice my presence.

A sharp inhale escaped my throat, and I froze; hoping he didn’t hear me.

Just my luck, he turned and saw me – it wasn’t like there was anywhere for me to hide. He didn’t look like a normal skeleton you’d see in an anatomy classroom. His skull was more round, and his teeth were hidden by…lips? I don’t really know. His eye sockets were lit up by bright orbs, one blue, the other a…yellow star?

I got into a fighting stance and waited for him to make a move.

Instead, he smiled at me and spoke. “Heya, um…I don’t think you’re supposed to be here.”

“I don’t really know how the hell I got here, so your guess is as good as mine,” I answered.

“Hm, I’d recognize an accent like that, what AU are you from?” the stranger asked me, stepping a bit closer, causing me to step back.

“Wha-“ my voice squeaked, and I cleared my throat and tried again. “Whadd’ya mean, ‘AU’?”

“Holy shoot, how impolite of me! My name’s Ink, what’s yours?”

I straightened and bowed Japanese-style. “You may call me Minx.”

“Alright then Minx, welcome to the Anti-Void!” he gestured around to the white space.

“Anti-Void?” I repeated, the syllables feeling strange on my tongue.

Ink nodded. “Yep, a world between worlds, so to speak.”

 _Called it._ “Okay then, how’d I get here?”

He shrugged. “Until we know how you came to be here, you kind of…can’t go back.”

I heaved a sigh. “Aight, fair enough. How do we find that out?”

Ink seemed to be taken aback. “Wow, you…took that well. Anyway, there’s no telling how long it will take to find out, but I have a place for you to stay until we do. Follow me and I’ll take you there,” he waved and started walking.

I still didn’t trust him (y’know, trust issues), but I tentatively followed after him; what else was I going to do, wander around for who knows how long? Sounds boring.

“You still didn’t say what an AU is,” I said after I had caught up with him.

“So I didn’t,” he recalled, then sighed. “This is going to be a little confusing, but please try to hold back your questions until after I’m finished, okay?” he smiled at me, and I nodded.

He nodded back and dove right into the explanation. “AU stands for ‘Alternate Universe’; these Alternate Universes make up the Multiverse that everything exists in. There is one original Universe that all AUs branch off of. Imagine a spider web, with the very middle where the spider usually sits as the main Universe. The Anti-Void stands in between the AUs, almost like air between standing objects. Beings like myself are able travel between AUs as we please. That’s why I’m confused as to how _you_ got here,” he gestured to me, and I got a glimpse of his hand; brown gloves with the fingers cut off.

“Beings like yourself? So there’s others?” I asked.

“Yes. Though not all of them are on our side, so don’t easily trust just anyone you come across in here.”

“I don’t easily trust anyone, period.” I scoffed quietly to myself.

“What was that?” he asked, looking back at me with confusion.

“Nothing,” I said a little too quickly.

He looked concerned before turning his attention back to what was in front of him. “Ah! We’re here!”

I looked forward and was surprised to see a house(?) How did I not notice that before?

Like a true gentleman, he swung open the door and let me inside.

It was a quaint little house, a couch sat in front of a television in the main room, and a set of stairs to its left led up to another floor. Another room straight ahead seemed to lead to a kitchen of sorts.

“Your room will be right at the top of the stairs. The other room up there is my studio; so if you need me, I’ll be in there. Anyway, make yourself at home!” Ink smiled at me and walked up the stairs into his studio.

On the other side of the door, I caught a glimpse of something that defied all of my previous knowledge of how a bedroom should look. Everything was gold for a split second before he closed the door behind him.

I stood there for a few moments before sighing and plopping down on the couch and slipping off my beat-up tennis shoes. (He said to make myself at home, right?) I sat there for a while before my stomach growled loudly. When _was_ the last time I had eaten? I glanced at my watch only to see that it was frozen at 12:00.

After rummaging through the cabinets, I discovered that the only thing that Ink had the sufficient ingredients for was spaghetti, which was good because I didn’t feel like giving enough of a damn to make anything fancy.

I won’t tell you the steps I went through to make spaghetti. I don’t need to.

I got two plates out and filled them both with the Italian dish and went upstairs to tell Ink that food was ready if he wanted it.

Before I could knock on the door, I heard voices coming from inside. I pressed my ear to the door to try and filter any noise I could.

“-get here?” I caught the tail end of a sentence that didn’t come from Ink.

“I don’t know, but her being here didn’t seem to be her choice. I already searched her SOUL, and it didn’t look like she had any bad intentions. I’ll need you to scan the Void and see if her presence attracted any unwanted attention.” Why do I get the feeling I’m being talked about?

“Okay then, but that’ll take a while; you know how expansive the Void is.”

“Yes, yes I do. Report back to me as soon as you find something.”

I was just getting ready to leave when the door swung open, letting me fall inside face-first with a _thud._

I could just make out brown converse shoes from the top of my vision. I pulled myself up and redignified myself. I looked him in the eyes and said, “There’s food downstairs if you’re hungry.”

“How long were you listening?” Ink asked, ignoring my announcement.

I sighed defeatedly. “’Bout a minute. I won’t ask who you were talkin’ to, because I’m frankly too hungry to care.” Yeah, I can be a bit of a jerk.

He raised his eyebrows(?) “Okay then, I was just going to come down for something to eat anyway. What are we having?” he asked as we started down the stairs.

“Well, I hope ya like spaghetti, cuz that’s all ya had ingredients for.” I told him.

He stopped dead in his tracks, making me look back at him.

“You okay, Ink? Your face is a lil’ pale, I mean, paler than usual.”

He shook his head to clear it and continued his descent down the steps. “I’m fine. It’s nothing.” He said curtly.

I shrugged off the sudden mood swing and followed him into the kitchen. “Ugh, the food’s probably cold by now. Here,” I said and lit up my hands in fire like a pro. I smirked as I heard him stumble backward a few steps. I hovered my hands over the noodles and kept my Conjuring at a constant rate for a few seconds until it was steaming again.

Done, I turned back to him and pulled out chairs for the both of us.

He looked a little stunned for a moment, then smiled and sat down. “You’re just full of surprises, ain’t ya?”

“Why do ya say that? Did I **fire you up**?” I smirked, watching his reaction.

He smirked. “I have a feeling you’d get along well with a friend of mine,” he said between bites.

We fell into silence that was filled by the sounds of chewing and silverware clinking together.

I finished first due to my being so hungry, and I just sat there watching him eat with a creepy look on my face. The fact that he didn’t notice made it funny as all hell.

When he was finally done, he looked up at me with a spot of spaghetti on the side of his face. He flinched away when I reached to swipe it away, which I found cute. “Are you done with your plate?”

He blinked and tore his eyes away from mine. “Uh, y-yeah.” A subtle blush spread across his cheeks.

“You’re cute when you’re flustered,” I remarked as I took the dishes to the sink and started washing them. I smirked as I heard him make distressed skeleton sounds from behind me.

I didn’t even realize how close in proximity to me he was until I felt bony arms wrap around my waist. I paused my dish washing to try to look at him when I felt something warm and wet touch the side of my neck. I couldn’t help the whimper that escaped my throat.

All too suddenly, he stepped away and leaned back in to my ear to speak in a husky voice that I hadn’t heard him use before now. “So do you,” he breathed, making a shudder rush down my spine.

I spun on my heel to retort, but he was already gone. I blinked and finished up the dishes, putting them in the drying rack to allow the water to do its thing.

I climbed the steps again and opened the door to my appointed room. It wasn’t real fancy, which I was glad about; not many posters on the walls, so I could decorate it however I damn well pleased. The bed springs protested as I plopped my weight on them, and I couldn’t stop one question from going through my mind:

_What the actual hell was that about?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, seriously, what the hell WAS that about? Tell me what you guys think. I've never actually played Undertale, though I am COMPLETELY obsessed with it. I'll try to get everything right, but if I do get something wrong, let me know and I'll fix it right away. Thanks for reading! Byeeeee~


	2. Sweet Dreams and A Parasite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new Guardian is born...

      I awoke to smell of something familiar, pancakes, maybe? Waffles? Why is this room not mine? Where’d that poster go that was like, right _there?_

      Oh. Right. Anti-Void, Ink, can’t go back, spaghetti, and…something else that sends a shudder across the surface of my skin. My watch is still stopped at 12:00, so I don’t have a clue how long I was asleep, but I feel rested.

      My stomach let me know it was time to eat. Going downstairs, that smell kept getting stronger, as did the howling in my stomach.

      Was someone humming? I rounded the corner into the kitchen to see Ink cooking what looked like pancakes.

      I tried sneaking up on him like he did to me, but my stupid stomach didn’t let me do so without being detected.

      “Oh, good morning, Minx! Did you sleep well?” Ink asked cordially.

_Does he remember last night?_ “Hi, uh…yeah, I slept well. You?”

     “I…don’t really sleep,” he turned back to his cooking as a rough sizzle filled the room.

_“What!?”_ I practically yelled, making him jump and nudge the pan a little, making one of the perfectly circular cakes of pan get not so perfectly round. “How can you not _sleep!?_ It’s like, the best thing ever!” I chose to ignore the glare he shot at me.

     “I don’t know,” he emphasized his point by shrugging. He turned around to face me, the top of his paintbrush whacking against the cupboard edge above him. “Anyway, I still don’t know how or why you’re here. Do you remember what you were doing before you suddenly got to the Anti-Void?”

     “Sleeping. Y’know, my favorite past-time?” I replied, walking over to the table and sitting on its surface, crossing my legs once I was comfortable. (Hehe. Comfor- ** _table._** )

     He seemed to be distracted by my action for a split second before going into thought. “Were you dreaming about anything?”

     I shook my head. “For all I know, this _is_ the dream. ‘Sides, what’s the point in finding out? It’s not like I have anything to go back to…” my voice trailed off.

     “Huh?” Ink asked as my words were lost in another sizzle.

     “Nothing.” I said. “Ya need some help with those?”

     “No, they’re done anyway. I could just cut off the burnt edges if you’d like,” he arranged them on two plates and gave one to me.

     “That’s okay, I like my pancakes a little crispy,” I wasn’t lying, but the edges of the fluffy rounds _were_ a little charred.

     “Heh, I’m an artist, not a cook. I hope you like them regardless,” he smiled at me and sat down in the empty spot next to me on the table.

     I skipped the fork like I usually do and took a bite. It wasn’t all that bad, actually. Besides the burned aftertaste, that is.

     We fell into another eating silence for a while until the burnt fluffs had migrated from our plates into our stomachs.

     I took care of the dishes, and Ink started out of the kitchen, probably to go back to his studio. “Ink,” I stopped him, “Now that I’m not too hungry to care, who were you talking to before?”

     “…A friend,” he answered.

     Before I could ask anything else, he turned and finished his trek to the mysterious studio. I sighed and put the dishes out to dry. I decided that it was today that I would find out _exactly_ what was in there.

                                         <\-------≪≫------->

     “Ugh,” I groaned aloud and turned off the T.V after an eternity of channel surfing. All that was on was different versions of some robot dude that was too egotistical for my taste, bordering on narcissism. There was one version that I liked, but I had to turn it off after the poor guy started bawling on stage after a whole bunch of bastards called in asking him to ‘show them what he could really do’. That really ticked me off. Then again, what doesn’t tick me off?

     Well, I guess now’s a good time as any to see Ink’s room; I was starting to get bored out of my damn mind. I went upstairs and boldly strutted up to the door like a rooster. Then I thought I looked pretty damn ridiculous walking down the hallway like a chicken, so I started walking like a normal person.

     I did a shave-and-a-haircut knock on the door and waited. Finally the door opened to reveal Ink standing there with a small smile on his face. “Heya. Whatcha need?”

     “Hey, Ink,” I said, “Is your friend here again? I…think I’d like to meet ‘em.”

     He looked over his shoulder at something, or some _one_. “Uh,” he said. “One second.” He closed the door, and I could hear him walk away from the door and converse with someone. After a few minutes, it opened back up, and he had a more subdued smile. “Come on in.”

     He stepped aside, and I obliged. I was right about it not being a normal bedroom. There was still a bed in the corner, but it was overshadowed by the rest of the room. Everything was gold, with a big area to the side with papers everywhere, with a space in the middle big enough for a few people. When I looked closer, the pictures on said papers seemed to be…moving!? Sure enough, someone walked past inside one of them, oblivious to the fact that they were inside a painting.

     There was someone else in the room, I realized after a while, and they walked up to me. He was another skeleton, this one with a yellow cape, and a yellow crown of sorts atop his round head. His eyes were lit up with bright yellow orbs that reminded me of the sun.

     “Greetings, Minx! I’m Dream, nice to finally meet you!” he stuck out his gloved hand, and I met it with my own.

     “You heard about me?” I inquired.

     “Sure did! You can thank Ink over there,” Dream nodded to his friend, who was still standing by the door.

     The artist skele rubbed the back of his skull with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

     I smirked and turned back to Dream when I realized he had let off a string of chatter that I had missed half of already.

     “-why you’re here, but we can find out. We _do_ need to get you home before-“

     “I don’t wanna go home,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

     Both of them looked surprised at my statement. “W-why not?” Ink asked, stepping closer to me.

     I blew a puff of frustrated air through the strands of hair dancing around my forehead, coming to terms with the fact that either I’d have to tell a lie, or I’d have a long story ahead of me. “Not much of a home to go back to,” I chose the long story; no use lying at this point. “No family, constantly bein’ hunted like an animal for not bein’ human, y’know, the usual.” I stated bluntly.

     “That sucks,” Ink said, probably out of not knowing what else to say.

     “Minx, I’m sorry,” Dream laid a hand on my shoulder.

     “Wasn’t you who killed my parents,” I said, not realizing that the phrase didn’t do much to make light of the situation until after it was out.

     “No siblings?” Ink asked.

     I shook my head sadly. “Not anymore.” It was silent for a few seconds before I sighed. “So yeah, that’s why I don’t wanna go back.”

     Ink and Dream seemed to share a private conversation between their eyes, and finally Dream spoke up. “Her presence doesn’t seem to attract anything negative, and we _could_ use some help around here.”

     “Not to mention someone to cook,” I said, remembering this morning’s breakfast.

     Ink snickered and seemed to weigh the options. “Can’t deny the cooking part,” he snickered again.

     “So she can stay?” Dream took the words out of my mouth.

     Ink nodded, much to my relief. “We already have housing arranged, so that won’t be a problem. Just as long as you clean up after yourself.”

     “Oh, I’ll clean up after myself and you, bone boy,” I winked, making that adorable blush spread across his cheeks. The house _was_ pretty messy.

     “It’ll be nice to have some company for this loner,” Dream joined me in teasing poor Ink, who was now full-on blushing.

     “Okay, I get it, I need a roommate. But Minx, you’d better be prepared to see some pretty weird things if you’re going to live here,” Ink warned.

     “I’ve seen my fair share of weird shit, so I’m kinda hard to shock nowadays. Excuse my French, I tend to swear a lot.” I apologized for my own mouth.

     “Yep, she’d get along with Fell,” Dream muttered, but not quietly enough for me to hear.

     Suddenly the papers to the side started shaking, and a few fell off and fluttered to the floor. Ink scurried over and hurriedly tacked them back up. “That damn parasite is compromising the very fabric of the AUs!” he growled, then glanced at me. “I can swear, too.”

     Dream ran over and helped Ink put the pictures back up. “Where is it?”

     “No clue, it’s been hopping dimensions ever since it glitched into existence,” Ink replied.

     “Can I help?” I asked, stepping forward and grabbing one of the papers.

**_“Wait!”_** both of them yelled in sync, making me freeze.

     “What!?” I yelled, my wolf ears shooting back from the sudden noise.

     They both stopped and stared in amazement. “How…how are you doing that?” Dream asked.

     “Doing what? I’m helping you guys pick these up,” I replied, now thoroughly confused.

     “Normally people wouldn’t be able to hold the AUs like that without them turning to dust instantly,” Ink explained, pointing to the piece of paper I now held in my hand.

     “Ohhhh, is _that_ what these are?” I gestured to the other pictures, tacking the one I had to the wall(?)

     Ink nodded. “Yeah, each of these papers are individual AUs. This one,” he pointed to one in the middle, “is the main one I was telling you about.”

     “Okay, you guys pretty much have a golden opportunity for a new recruit here. Someone who doesn’t harm the AUs when touched, doesn’t have a home to go back to, not to mention no one would remember me anyway even if I _did_ go back…” my voice trailed off.

     “She’s right,” Ink said to Dream. “She can help with the AUs. With what’s going on right now, we can use all the help we can get.”

     “Agreed,” Dream said, then turned to me. “Are you really willing to help?”

     “Of course,” I nodded, making my torn ear flop up and down.

     “And you’re not easily disturbed?” Ink added.

     My tail twitched in annoyance. “No, what is this, twenty questions? I just wanna help any way I can.”

     They shared a knowing look. “Alright, then we’ll explain what’s going on around here. First you need to understand that in the original timeline, monsters are real. This is the one that all the AUs are built off of, keep in mind.”

     I walked over to the bed and sat down, getting ready for a long story.

     They both joined me and got comfy. “This’ll get easier to understand the more time goes on, but monsters live under a mountain called Mt. Ebott. They used to live on the surface, but a war broke out between them and humans, resulting in them getting trapped there. They need seven human SOULs to break the barrier that keeps them there, and their ruler, Asgore, already has six.”

     “Well it’s a good thing I’m not human then,” I commented when he paused for breath(?)

     “It’s not that easy,” Dream picked up, “The last time they saw humans was over 100 years ago, and many of them have forgotten what they look like, much less whether they have a tail and…two sets of ears,” he faltered in the middle of his sentence, trying to choose his words wisely.

     I caught it. “Don’t worry about offending me, I’ve got thick skin. I don’t like sugar-coating, anyway.”

     “Yes, well, the AUs are just different variations of that. However, there’s been…a parasite strutting around like it owns the place. It’s infecting monsters right and left, thankfully there’s only one, so there’s no threat of it spreading, but it’s still a problem because its constant hopping of timelines is threatening the AUs themselves. As our duty as Guardians, it’s up to us to stop it.” Ink finished his explanation.

     “Sign me in,” I said, determination in my voice.

     “!!!That fast!?” Dream said loudly.

     I nodded. “This sounds serious, and I’m sure I can help. I wanna be a Guardian.”

     “Okay, first I’ll have to teach you the basics, like what a SOUL is, what it can do, that sort of thing. You’re going to feel a pressure in your chest, but not bad. It’s more weird than painful. You ready?” Ink asked, hovering his hand in front of my chest.

     I nodded, bracing myself for this ‘pressure’. It wasn’t bad, like he said, and a little floating heart came out of my chest and into his hand. It was multicolored, red, orange, purple, green, and light blue all swirling around like a rainbow contained in a heart.

     “Whoa,” Ink and Dream both said in unison, staring in awe at my SOUL. I suddenly felt very naked.

     “Why does it have a crack in it?” I asked, bringing it to their attention as well.

     “Well, that happens when you’ve either had your heart broken, or if you’re critically injured physically,” Ink explained, not taking his eyes off of my SOUL.

     “Heh, I’ve had both,” I retorted, pointing to the scar running vertically over my eye.

     “Now we have to teach you how to fight with it,” Dream said.

     “Are you sure about this?” Ink asked, finally meeting my eyes.

     “Like I said,” the red part of my SOUL shifted to take over a larger portion of the space, and my voice was filled with determination. “Sign me in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, am I getting everything right so far? (or should I say...WRITE heheheh) let me know in the comments! *waves dramatically at comment section* fire away! or if you even have some constructive criticism, that's greatly appreciated, too! Thanks!!


	3. Dodging and Hopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we go; our budding Guardian gets her first mission

     “Wow!” Dream cheered as I summoned another flame and shot it at one of the practice targets Ink had set up, making it burst into flame. My Fire Conjuring felt different when I used my SOUL. Hotter. More powerful. More….more…just more.

     “Alright, Minx!” Ink joined in, raising a fist.

     My SOUL pulsed with confidence beside me. “I think that’s enough,” I finally said, “poor Ink is gonna run out of practice targets.”

     “Aww,” Dream sighed, disappointed.

     “Haha! Alright, then!” Ink stood up. “Now we need to teach you how to dodge. These attacks will start out easy, but they’ll get harder as you learn how to move around. Even if you _do_ get hit, it won’t hurt much. Ya ready?”

     The red part of my SOUL shifted again to take up more space, and I was filled with a sense of determination. “Ready,” I repeated.

     He nodded and threw a few small paint balls at my SOUL, and I was able to move it out of the way. We continued like this until I was constantly moving to keep out of the way of the falling blobs of paint.

     He finally stopped, standing up straight and smiling at me. I was sweating from the effort, and Dream gave me a drink of water he got from somewhere.

     “Thanks, Dream,” I said, mentally pulling my SOUL back into my chest like Ink had taught me.

     He gave me a grin and looked at Ink, who was now standing in front of me. “I couldn’t ask you to start your journey right now. Get some rest first, we’ll begin tomorrow,” he placed a hand on my shoulder.

     I nodded, grateful for the break. I was mentally exhausted from the SOUL training.

     “I’ll make dinner,” Dream offered as we both followed Ink out of the room.

     “Thanks, cookie,” I tried out the nickname.

     “C-cookie!?” Dream’s face started turning yellow. Was that his blush?

     “Yeah, can I call you that? It just fits you,” I said.

     “Of course, Minx! Of course!” his face was now pure yellow, and his eyes had turned into little hearts. It made me wonder just how long these guys went without affection from a girl. Or anyone, for that matter. They had each other, sure, but still.

     “Okay then, cookie,” I slapped an arm around his shoulders just to watch his reaction. Why the hell is everyone around here so damn cute when flustered!? I looked forward again to see Ink glaring back at us. “What’s the matter, ya jealous??” I asked innocently, making Dream giggle like a Japanese schoolgirl.

     “This has nothing to do with jelly!” Ink said defensively, making both me and Dream laugh.

<\-------≪≫------->

     “Sit down, Minx!” Dream yelled.

     I grumbled, but sat back down. I had to make do with just watching and not helping.

     He sighed and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms and looking at me. “Don’t worry, it gets easier the more you do it.”

     “I feel like I got hit by a freight train,” I stated, putting my head on the table.

     “Well stop trying to get up and help, then!” Dream put his fists on his hips indignantly.

       I lifted my head to smirk at him. “D’aww, don’t go losin’ a chocolate chip now, cookie,” I drawled in my Brooklyn accent.

     “But – wha-I’m not even-UGH!” he spun on his heel to go back to his cooking.

     “Whatcha makin’, anyway?” I asked, craning my neck to try and see.

     Dream looked at the contents of the pot he was stirring and shrugged. “A stew, I guess.”

     “What did you put in it?”

     “You were sitting there this whole time, Minx!” he puffed out his cheeks.

       _Adorable._ “Yeah, but I didn’t pay attention,” I gave him a shit-eating grin.

     “Ugh, just…try it for yourself,” he took a spoon over to me and shoved it in my mouth when I tried to protest.

     I coughed a little and looked up at him. “A little more salt, but not much,” I instructed.

     He nodded and opened the cabinet to get the seasoning. I watched as he struggled to grab it; going on his tip-toes. “IIIIInnnkkkkk,” he whined.

     Ink walked into the room, going up to the cabinet and grabbing the salt with ease.

     “What am I, chopped liver?” I asked teasingly.

     “Of course not, Minx! You’re a person, remember?” Dream said as Ink handed him the salt.

     I blinked and looked and Ink, who shrugged and sat down in an empty seat.

     “Okay, I think it’s ready!” he put the soup into three bowls and set them in front of us with spoons.

     It was actually pretty good, though I think he went a little overboard with the salt now. Oh well, I was too hungry to care.

     After dinner, we all sat and watched the T.V for a while before I started yawning. When I went to get up and go to bed, Ink jumped up and swept me off my feet, carrying me there himself. I was glad the staircase was dark so he wouldn’t see my face turning red.

     He gently set me on the bed and tucked me in, ghosting his fingers over my cheek. “Good-night, Minx,” he whispered.

     “Good-night, Ink,” I moaned and rolled over, and it was lights out almost as soon as I closed my eyes.

<\-------≪≫------->

     I was rudely awakened by Dream jumping on me and yelling, “GOOD MOOORRRNIIIIINNGGG!!!!!!”

     “OKAY! GOOD LORD, I’M AWAKE!” I screeched, making him stop.

     “Are you ready for your super-duper-mega-awesome adventure today!?” he asked excitedly, getting a little too close to my face.

     I playfully pushed him and sat up, stretching my limbs and earning _cracks_ from a few. “Well, I’ll have to eat first,” I yawned and looked at him in the dimly lit room, the only light coming from the hall.

     His eyes were completely dark, and he was backing up. “Wha-what…was that?”

     “Cookie, calm down! It’s completely normal, just my routine. See? I’m fine,” I turned around to prove it.

     He put a hand over his heart(?)

     “Good God, if I knew it would disturb you do bad, I wouldn’t have done it,” I walked over to him and hugged him. “I’m sorry, Dream.”

     “That’s okay, Minx, just…don’t do that around Ink; he’d flip,” he said, leaning his head against my chest.

     I let go of him. “Speaking of which, where _is_ Ink?”

     “Making breakfast,” Dream answered, his yellow orbs back in their rightful place.

     “He’s not making pancakes, is he?” I asked as we exited the room.

     “No, he’s making…scrambled eggs, I think he called them.”

     My eyes widened. I was _not_ having burnt eggs for breakfast. Fuck no. “Oh, shit!” I cussed and sprinted toward the kitchen. “IIIIINNNNNKKKKKK!!!!!!!”

<\-------≪≫------->

     I had fortunately saved breakfast before it had been burnt too badly, but it was still a little dry. All three of us now stood back in Ink’s studio, going through the plan.

     “Okay, so basically how this is gonna go is that you’ll spend a week in each AU, starting with the main Universe. Here’s my number. If you find anything suspicious, let me know and I’ll keep you there for a couple extra days to check it out,” he handed me a slip of paper with numbers on it. “Dream’s is on there, too.”

     “Couldn’t I just program it into my phone?” I asked, taking the paper and looking it over.

     “Your phone’s memory banks will be wiped with each dimension hop,” Dream added, “except for your photos, so you can take pictures of suspicious stuff, too.”

     “Right,” Ink agreed. “In between each AU, you’ll be able to come back here to debrief and rest, not to mention let the AUs themselves rest for a while.”

     “Okay, so lemme get this straight,” I slipped the number paper into my pocket. “I go to an AU for a week apiece, and if I need more time, I let you know. In between each I come back here for a couple days. Am I right?”

     “Yep, spot on,” Ink approved. “When you go in, you’ll go unconscious, and you’ll wake up in a bed of flowers. Keep walking through the gate, and you’ll be able to go from there. Are you ready?”

    “Aye-aye, cap’n,” I saluted.

     “Alright, just concentrate on being there and walk forward.” Ink instructed while Dream gave me an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

     I was just about to follow his directions when the artist stopped me.

     “Oh, and Minx, don’t trust Flowey.”

     I nodded and walked forward. Ink was right, I passed out almost immediately.

     Everything was black, very black; the exact opposite of the Anti-Void. I didn’t feel weightless anymore, just empty – extremely empty. I looked up to see another two skeletons, one all black with blue streaks running from his eyes like tears, and his eyes were…oddly colored, to say the least. The other was more sinister looking. He had two cracks in his skull, one on each side of his face – one going from the top of his right eye, the other going down from his left. He had a painful smile stretched across his face.

     They were both sitting, staring at me with more curiosity than anything. The black one suddenly smiled and spoke in a glitched voice. **“This will be interesting.”**

     Well, shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww damn, son! A wild Gaster and a wild Error have appeared!!

**Author's Note:**

> No, seriously, what the hell WAS that about? Tell me what you guys think. I've never actually played Undertale, though I am COMPLETELY obsessed with it. I'll try to get everything right, but if I do get something wrong, let me know and I'll fix it right away. Thanks for reading! Byeeeee~


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